Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season 2

Oscar Piastri addresses management change as Mark Webber steps back

Oscar Piastri says his management reshuffle for 2026 is nothing dramatic

Lydia Mee

Edited: Feb 20, 2026, 2:23 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 1st position, with Mark Webber

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 1st position, with Mark Webber

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Oscar Piastri has addressed his personal management change ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Heading into the new season, the Australian driver confirmed that he had made changes to his management team. While Mark Webber is still Piastri's manager, he will take a step back from his trackside support role and put his focus instead on commercial matters.

Joining the 24-year-old at the track will be his former Formula 2 race engineer at Prema in 2021, Pedro Matos, and Australian mental coach Emma Murray, who will increase her involvement at the track.

"There wasn't anything specific, we just made a decision for things to look a bit different," Piastri explained to the media in Bahrain when asked if there was a specific moment from 2025 which led to the decision. 

"Mark is still very much involved and I've been in contact with him a lot over the last few weeks. He just won't be trackside as much anymore. So that's really the extent of it. But yeah, there was nothing specific that triggered it."

Pre-season testing in Bahrain is almost over, and the teams will soon head to Melbourne for Piastri's home race, the Australian Grand Prix, from 6-8 March.

"I think it's definitely been a learning curve," Piastri said of the pre-season testing in Bahrain and private testing in Barcelona.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

"There are still some things we need to do as drivers that are certainly very different to what we had to do last year. But I think the kind of optimisation around driving that way, especially as drivers, I think we're getting our heads around the new things we need to do.
 
"And as teams, making accommodations for having to drive a certain way now. So I think it has improved. It still is very different to what we had before.
 
"I think naturally, we've all probably found performance and just with performance, it's made some creature comforts a little bit nicer as well. So I think we are making progress. Let's see what Melbourne's like."

Photos from Bahrain Pre-Season Testing - Day 6

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing, Alexander Albon, Williams

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Alexander Albon, Williams

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

George Russell, Mercedes

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos

Formula 1

50

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Aston Martin ends F1 Bahrain test early

Next article Lawrence Stroll to buy Aston Martin F1 naming rights in £50million deal

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Lydia Mee



Laurent Mekies credited with ending Red Bull's second seat "curse"

Formula 1

Formula 1

Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Laurent Mekies credited with ending Red Bull's second seat "curse"



Guenther Steiner jokes Christian Horner Ferrari talk is good book publicity

Formula 1

Formula 1

Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Guenther Steiner jokes Christian Horner Ferrari talk is good book publicity



Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" amid F1 title pressure, says Naomi Schiff

Formula 1

Formula 1

Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" amid F1 title pressure, says Naomi Schiff

More from

Oscar Piastri



Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Formula 1

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40



Why McLaren cannot fix its F1 car handling until 2027

Formula 1

Formula 1

Singapore GP

Why McLaren cannot fix its F1 car handling until 2027



Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”

Formula 1

Formula 1

Singapore GP

Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”

More from

McLaren



The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026



McLaren held fresh talks after Singapore GP clash as Lando Norris promises to "make better decisions"

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

McLaren held fresh talks after Singapore GP clash as Lando Norris promises to "make better decisions"



Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Formula 1

Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Latest news



Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

25 min

Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”



MotoGP can’t simply copy F1’s Drive to Survive success – Chase Carey

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

1 h

MotoGP can’t simply copy F1’s Drive to Survive success – Chase Carey



Marc Marquez's mind games with Jorge Martin: "If you're fast, you don't need team orders"

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

1 h

Marc Marquez's mind games with Jorge Martin: "If you're fast, you don't need team orders"



Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for F1 engine project after maiden win

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

United States GP

2 h

Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for F1 engine project after maiden win

Feature

Discover prime content



How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect

Formula 1

United States GP

By Filip Cleeren

How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect



Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Formula 1

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40



How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1



Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe